Who made the Holden Cruze?
The Holden Cruze was made by Holden, the Australian arm of General Motors, and is essentially a badge-engineered version of the global Chevrolet Cruze tailored for Australia.
Origins and platform
The Holden Cruze sits on GM's Delta II platform—the same engineering family behind several GM compact cars worldwide. The Cruze nameplate was developed as a global compact car, with Chevrolet serving as the global variant and Holden adapting it for right‑hand‑drive markets like Australia.
Key facts about the design and lineage include:
- Global platform: Delta II, enabling common engineering across multiple markets.
- Global model: Chevrolet Cruze served as the global version; Holden Cruze was the Australian badge.
- Australian production: Built by Holden for the domestic market as part of GM's regional manufacturing strategy.
- Production window: Local production occurred in the 2010s, aligning with GM's manufacturing footprint in Australia before the end of domestic manufacturing.
The Holden Cruze thus represents GM's approach of localizing a global platform for a regional market, rather than creating an entirely separate, homegrown model.
Australian production specifics
In Australia, the Cruze was produced by Holden, GM's Australian subsidiary. The model was introduced to the market in the early 2010s as a small sedan/hatch, positioned to compete with other compact cars. The Cruze's Australian lifecycle ended when GM ceased local manufacturing in Australia in 2017.
Global vs. local manufacturing context
While Holden produced the Cruze locally for Australia, GM's global Cruze was assembled in other GM facilities around the world. The Australian model reflects how GM leveraged its international platforms to offer a right-hand-drive option in a distinct market.
Summary
In short, the Holden Cruze was made by Holden, the Australian arm of General Motors, as a locally adapted version of the Chevrolet Cruze built on GM's Delta II platform. It showcased GM's global-to-local production strategy and its shift away from domestic manufacturing in the later 2010s.
Overall takeaway: Holden (GM) produced the Holden Cruze; it was based on the Chevrolet Cruze and tailored for Australia.
